Sample Handling and Trace Analysis of Pollutants

Book excerpt: Sample Handling and Trace Analysis of Pollutants: Innovations to Determine Organic Contaminants, Second Edition reviews the latest technologies and challenges in trace analysis of environmental pollutants, from selecting the right approach to tips for performing analytic procedures and measuring and reporting results. Written by internationally renowned experts in environmental analysis from 5 continents and edited by leaders in the field, this completely updated and revised volume presents the latest techniques developed over the past 10 years, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, biosensors and imaging techniques. Important tools for problem-solving in the determination of environmental pollutants are also discussed.Chapters cover emerging pollutants in the environment, such as nanomaterials, microplastics, metabolites and/or transformation products and antimicrobial resistances. Specific sections describe field sampling techniques and sample preparation in environmental matrices: air, water, soil, sediment and biota, focus on passive samplers, cover the determination of these environmental contaminants based on analytical techniques, such as the use of gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, immunoassays, and biosensors as well as advanced analytical methods such as imaging techniques. - Discusses techniques ranging from chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, to emerging areas such as nanotechnology, immunoassays and biosensors - Covers the characteristics, advantages, limitations and potential of each technique and the current strategies in each method's development and validation - Outlines practical solutions to challenging problems in the analysis of pollutants in environmental matrices, including how to combine techniques for improved efficacy